Kingfisher, OK (June 2, 2026) – Two people died on Monday afternoon, June 1, after a vehicle struck a semi-truck head-on on Highway 33 west of Kingfisher. The collision unfolded near 2740 Road, in the stretch locally known as the Calumet Blacktop.
According to investigators, a pickup truck was heading westbound on Hwy 33 when it slowed to turn south. Then a second westbound vehicle failed to slow and clipped the turning truck, which was pushed off the road, but the vehicle that struck it then crossed into the path of an eastbound semi and collided with it head-on.
Both people inside the vehicle that hit the semi lost their lives. They were identified as 20-year-old Alysha Bidwell-McDonagh and 23-year-old Alexus Pendleton, both from Greenfield, and both were wearing seat belts at the time of the wreck.
A passenger inside the semi was hurt in the accident. The extent of that person’s injuries was not confirmed in the initial report. The crash remains under active review, and further details will follow as they become available.
We offer our deepest condolences to the families of Alysha Bidwell-McDonagh and Alexus Pendleton.
What to Know About Head-On Crashes Involving Semi-Trucks on Oklahoma Highways
Head-on collisions between passenger vehicles and semi-trucks are among the most deadly types of crashes on rural highways. The weight difference between a loaded commercial truck and a standard car or SUV means the smaller vehicle absorbs an enormous share of the force. Even at moderate speeds, that disparity can produce fatal results for those in the lighter vehicle.
Multi-vehicle sequences, where one crash triggers a second, are more complex to reconstruct than direct two-vehicle crashes. Investigators must work backward through the chain of events, determining which contact caused which movement and whether any driver had enough time and distance to react. Skid marks, vehicle resting positions, and debris patterns all contribute to that timeline.
Rural two-lane highways like Oklahoma’s Hwy 33 carry a mix of passenger vehicles and heavy commercial trucks, and left-turn maneuvers at unmarked or lightly marked intersections can create unexpected conflicts when following traffic does not anticipate a slow or stopping vehicle ahead.
